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How can it affect you?
Radon is a cancer-causing,
radioactive gas. The Surgeon General has warned that
radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the
United States. If you smoke and your home has high radon
levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.
Radon was identified as a
health problem when scientists noted that underground
uranium miners who were exposed to it died of lung
cancer at high rates. Results of miner's studies have been
confirmed by experimental animal studies, which show
higher rates of lung tumors among rodents exposed to
high radon levels.
Radon is present in nearly all air. Everyone breathes
radon in every day, usually at very low levels. However,
people who inhale high levels of radon are at an
increased risk for developing lung cancer.
More from NCDENR
How does Radon cause cancer?
Radon decays quickly,
giving off tiny radioactive particles. When inhaled,
these radioactive particles can damage the cells that
line the lung. Long-term exposure to radon can lead to
lung cancer, the only cancer proven to be associated
with inhaling radon.
More
from National Cancer Institute
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